tell me the last thing you bought for under $50 that radically improved your life.
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@kevin A small daylight lamp, first winter in many years where I am *not* taken over by sadness
@kevin — electric kettle and a pour over cone coffee dripper
@kevin I got a bougie humidifier where you can set your preferred humidity level and it puts out just enough steam to keep it right at that level. Total game changer for sleeping in the east coast winter
@kevin This might be a generic answer that is not at all impressive, but, for me: brand new socks.
@kevin I finally bought a water bottle with a straw thingy. It was cheap, we got it for 5$ from Dollarama, but damn if I'm not suddenly drinking more water.
It's so weird and satisfying to see the water level drop down the measuring scale.
Even the fanciest glasses got nothing on my plastic bottle!
@kevin Dripsie kitchen sink strainer/catcher. Trust me on this one: https://dripsie.com/products/original-dripsie-strainer
@kevin A friend nudged me to download the Finch app almost a year ago, and the number of positive habits I've been able to form because of the digital items I can get for my birb has been pretty great. (I used a free version for a long while, but I eventually signed up for the paid version since I was getting so much value from it.) I even floss now, like an adult. #birdsarentreal #birbsareuseful
@kevin for the coffee aficionados, the Oxo Rapid Brewer is a treat under $50
@kevin a really good thermos
@kevin HDMI to DisplayPort adapter for 5 € ... I use it in my home office to connect my employer's Microsoft surface with my private 27'' screen.
@kevin Very surprised, in this crowd, that nobody else has mentioned the Brick! (tbf it's usually more expensive than $50, and is on sale for about $53 right now, but I think I got it for $40 a few months back as part of some promotion.) https://getbrick.app/products/the-brick
@kevin I took a product hook bar thing from a Walmart and bent it so I could stick it out the window of my vehicle to clean the snow off my wiper if I couldn't pull over to do it. Free.
@kevin Well I just bought a 50 cent screw to keep the rack attached to my bike, replacing one that had probably gotten lose and fallen sometime last year. And it made all the difference.
@kevin mosquito net. Cost 20€ second hand. Sleeping through summer nights, priceless.
@kevin
My first lions Mane mushroom culture.
@kevin The last was a portable rotary tool: https://www.menards.com/main/tools/power-tools/rotary-tools/performax-reg-8-volt-cordless-rotary-tool-kit-110-piece/jd5656/p-1537770461226-c-10099.htm
I use it almost exclusively for dog nails (with a dog nail bit), not having to drag the cord around like I do on my other Dremel means I can sneak up on them and do a paw before they get agitated.
Also the box it came in is a very convenient storage container so I can keep the everything together.
@kevin meshtastic! Can't stop buying them! @meshtastic 🤫
@kevin A pair or compression gloves, actual game changer if most of your hobbies cause carpal tunnel
@kevin Not sure about radically changing my life, but my keysmart key holder I bought in 2014 for $20 still brings me much joy. https://www.getkeysmart.com/
@kevin Korean ginseng tea! I've been dealing with acid reflux stuff in reaction to all coffee products and both green and black tea. Now, I don't have to give up warm beverages in winter!
@hazelmotes @kevin with cut rags, you can even go toilet paper free https://rosano.ca/blog/re-usable-butt-towels-and-kitchen-wipes/ @rosano
@douginamug @kevin @rosano fascinating idea!
($4) MSG for my cooking. Don't believe the 1970s urban legends.
($12) Grow lights for my plants to overwinter indoors. The difference is dramatic.
($30) An inexpensive rice cooker. Game changer. I use it 2-3 times a week.
($8) Eyeglass repair kit. They don't slip and slide as often when I keep the screws tighter.
($40) 50ft Outdoor extension cord with evenly spaced outlets. Made holiday decorating much faster, and eliminated lots of "hacks".
A biofilm busting laundry spray, my husband no longer stinks when he wears his gym clothes, and it saved a favorite jacket of mine that I just could not wash out the stink of multiple 24+ hr travels to India.
@MCDuncanLab huh, which one?
Lime biofilm buster.
@kevin Magnesium glycinate. I take it before bed and have been getting the best sleep of my life for the past year
@kevin These tweezers for turning individual pieces of browning meat and other things you're cooking that you need to turn over but are too hot to touch!! https://www.amazon.com/Eddeas-Kitchen-Tweezers-Cooking-Stainless/dp/B0CL27KJ1P/ref=sr_1_7?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.QWM6nlfiuoovyOZLKKgwNadHD27cDhOKZq754oXUtnP48LS5SIQEL-JHQ95gsL0Ftdq5zZbw0h3ibZDEf0oRpC2d7MsMfG-nTIdQyrMPKeIN991hm-eATNNPhykp_sdaozjnHRmS3qEyqdpplXM_0gCdNyFLfGpg_Tj_60L58R5qDnRsHXHqxQ5ISTvWGvTMee7RUctcHJZxf_7N2-UGVSeebfEiM1YxYQfyRv9OoxQWb_DKtA7VYxi_aCHIHIvK95_w5MRDWUHLjMVi3ktZJvP4nTbzjlnduNlVANOWhiI.W1poYgkgs5PJZ7RQMdEef6ULQoK7pWGa5aPVmQxh6c0&dib_tag=se&keywords=kitchen+tweezers&qid=1768149267&sr=8-7
@kevin a weed brush to remove weeds from in between pavement tiles. I had an electrical one and that never worked as good as a steel brush on a stick. It did cost around 12 euros
@kevin I can't believe no one has said bidet yet. So... bidet.
@kevin this thing, https://www.etsy.com/listing/1905254823/natural-bamboo-sofa-armrest-tray-couch, which has allowed us to sit on both sides of the couch & even out the weight put on the cushions
@kevin a heated vest - keeps me so warm and toasty!
@kevin Danish dough whisk
https://www.amazon.com/COOKSURE-Inch-Danish-Dough-Whisk/dp/B0FSKJW3S8/
@kevin 1080p led projector
@kevin a basic Dremel tool. I am now a machine that turns trips to Michael’s into epic elementary school dioramas
@kevin
A coffee Bodum. Consistent drinkable in-home coffee that doesn't homestead countertop space.
@kevin Air humidifier because it's cold here and I was feeling like a dry raisin. I also need it when it's not cold but I did that chronically ill/ADHD thing that consists in doing something to improve things only when your beginning to consider defenestration.
@kevin A task-specific jigsaw blade
@kevin The one that comes to mind: a really good water bottle.
https://www.stanley1913.com/products/the-iceflow-flip-straw-tumbler-30-oz?variant=53972775240040
@kevin
These official Lenovo joystick caps for my Legion Go S.
Seriously, the rounded ones are fantastic for the left thumb! (and they look like an oversized version the the old red mouse thingy from the Thinkpads 😍
https://www.lenovo.com/no/no/p/accessories-and-software/others/others-joystick-caps/gxh1r61508
An early generation 2-person airfryer
@kevin a ceramic neti pot
@kevin a ceramic neti pot
@kevin Marriage license.
@kevin The one thing that comes to mind is a can opener that I got a few years ago. It works so well, I actually look forward to opening cans with it.
@kevin magnesium supplements
And a massage gun
@kevin clip on pot strainer from Aldi
@kevin Bathroom scale
@kevin Elastic no tie lockable laces for my walking shoes.
@kevin surf club membership.
@kevin uniqlo heattech knitted gloves
@kevin A very clever lemon squeezer.
@kevin a $3 artist's palette knife works wonders in workshop/DIY applications. So many times it's been the right tool for a fiddly job.
@kevin a book on philosophy
@kevin
'low care' polyester microfibre black 'office' pants from Uniqlo. I found them when I swapped to linen and decided they'd make a good comparison product. All the linen pants have worn out. They are almost unmarked. Light, quick drying, cool in summer, and don't need ironing or fancy cleaning. Only down sides are plastic and on dry days I shoot lightening from my hands.
Also shoehorn.
@kevin
A plush toy.
@kevin shower timer in the shape of a duck that quacks when it goes off.
Under $20
Has dramatically shortened how long my tween spends in the shower and eliminated the need for my wife or I to be time keeper/nag to get the shower to finish.
Amazing how big an impact <$20 can have (paying for itself in the water savings as well as the stress/time savings)
Amber sunglasses.
@kevin Piranesi by Susanna Clarke.
@kevin Been wearing the same OG crocs since before 2011. They are my ‘house slipper’ of choice. Upgraded the other day to a new pair and man… so much better QOL in terms of comfort and I have a substantially lower chance of slipping on my ass when I go get the mail now. Total price shipped… $42.78
@kevin Japanese nail clippers - less than $20 and absolutely life changing https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/the-best-nail-clippers/
@kevin a basic set of tools, tape measure, utility knife, zip ties, etc that I keep in the trunk of my car to make minor repairs and fix things that break wherever I happen to be.
$20 Portable Air Compressor
So much more convenient than looking for quarters and going to a gas station every time the temperature changes and the tire warning lights in the cars freak out.
When playing the long game? Probably, when I exchanged my toothbrush the last time.
@kevin hemorrhoid cream
@kevin low tech low maintenance companion
@kevin
I like coffee, and I usually use either a simple Chemex pitcher or a stainless steel Bialetti moka pot, which were each under $50 when I got them, maybe a little more now.
@kevin a subscription to Le Monde instead of the NYTimes.
@kevin Started using Narwhal for browsing Reddit rather than using the official app. Feels like going back to the Apollo days.
@kevin An open box but unused OHOM Ui mug and induction heater/wireless phone charger. I paid $44.93 USD via eBay including shipping, and I cannot recommend this product highly enough.
@kevin Disco Elysium, really inspiring wonderful art, though what happened to the artists who worked to build it is very upsetting
@kevin nasal spray. Getting over the damn flu.
@kevin
The FOSS finance tracking app Buckwheat was revolutionary for me. It's because it's so ridiculously quick and simple that even I don't put off using it. With the widget on the home screen, the results are so instant and visible that it actually keeps my finances and spending constantly top of mind, rather than having my bank accounts be a black box, I never really had a sense of, that I only opened to feel bad once a month or so. This app has saved me literally thousands of dollars.
@kevin an extra long shoehorn. I now slide into my sneakers with the grace of a Victorian gentleman
@kevin Not "bought" exactly, but I had my kitchen knives sharpened. They desperately needed it.
@kevin portable bidet
@kevin OXO Hand-Held Spiralizer to make nutritious and tasty noodles out of zucchini 💪
@kevin a shoehorn made out of metal instead of shitty plastic
@kevin grain filled socks/shoes that can be heated in the microwave. 
@kevin@theforkiverse.com a cat
Adopted for free
@kevin hm, I guess the new pillow I bought a year ago is probably the newest thing that ticks both boxes.
A mini screwdriver kit turned out to be very useful more often than expected, but not quite radical.
Of older things, a 5 meter reel of velcro tape is incredible QoL for money (under $5 on aliexpress)
@kevin sticking with the foot theme: darn tough socks. I don't wear any other socks now and my feet are so much happier all the time. (they're made near where I live, so I'm not sure if you can get them anywhere, but they are absolutely incredible and have a lifetime warranty.)
@kevin electric kettle!
@kevin
Kagi search (per month)
@kevin milk frother. Eggnog lattes every morning during the holidays is where it’s at.
@kevin anti-fog shower mirror that actually works as described
@kevin rechargeable, heated winter gloves. no more numb fingies.
@kevin coffee bean canister with vacuum seal. Morning coffee always tastes amazing.
@kevin A Garmin step tracker.
@kevin Shelled out for personalized Filofax inserts, really helps me keep focus. Also, there is a company here that helps farmers process and earn income from produce that would otherwise be thrown away (think damaged fruit, contracts that weren't honoured by processors etc.) You subscribe for 50 euro and get a big box with all the stuff. Bloody wholesome!
@kevin
a tiny dustpan the right size for catching crumbs off the counter
red dot for cats
excellent coffee beans
replacement electric toothbrush
@kevin an Auracast Bluetooth transmitter for £40. Now I can share the audio from my Chromebook with my family whilst watching videos on long train journeys.
@kevin sock clips to make them stay together in the laundry machine (and in drawers and on the drying rack, too)
@kevin Wilderness permits for my kids and I to backpack 5 days in the Sierras before they went to college.
@kevin Tubi because it is free and it recreates, virtually, the feeling of going into a Blockbuster circa 1997.
@kevin
hair clippers
@kevin Does Propranolol count haha.
@kevin not the thing I’ve purchased but my aeropress coffee maker cost my $20 and has probably been my most stable relationship
@kevin An apple slicer that creates 16 beautiful thin slices. Love it!
@kevin Silk sock liners.
@kevin a rice steamer
@kevin a cheap-but-nice fountain pen.
And clear biking glasses.
@kevin my first rice cooker
@kevin Basic countertop rice cooker. Perfect rice *every* single time without thought or fuss.
@kevin tiles to find my things
@kevin this flexible wire for clearing sinks and drains for €5. Saves a fortune on unblock liquids and works better
